


Crumbling Resolve

by CeruleanMusings



Series: The Loudest Whisper [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Book 2: Earth, Earthbender OC, Gen, Jin (Avatar) has a friend, Mute OC, One Shot, POV Third Person OC, Season/Series 02, Sign Language, mentions of Jet - Freeform, mentions of Zuko - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:33:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24398818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanMusings/pseuds/CeruleanMusings
Summary: Maybe, this time, she could put herself in the right place to catch Jin just in case she fell. What kind of friend would she be if she constantly let her fall to her knees? They’ve been getting a bit too bruised lately.
Relationships: Jin (Avatar) & Original Character(s), Jin (Avatar) & Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Loudest Whisper [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762852
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	Crumbling Resolve

Michi had been waiting all day for this moment. 

They had a good day, or so her father insisted. He repeated the line with such sincerity she had no choice but to trust him. No choice but to graciously accept his wrapped gift, fingers grazing his rough and work-weathered hands. Hands that she would willingly, lovingly, massage later that night when he finally stopped for the day and gave into the swelling and tightness which grew steady throughout. 

He didn’t think she noticed the way he winced when he curled and stretched his fingers, the way he took pause after the hard hitting chisel vibrations shot up his bones. But she noticed. She always noticed, ever since she was a child. Though, she admired, he never complained; merely smiled as he worked and praised her efforts when she grew of age to aid in the family trade. 

It came easy for her; one punch to stone or a mere shift of her hands around clay and her masterpieces were finished, bent to reveal the images molded in her mind. But she took her time with her father. Hearing his humming, being next to his unwavering patience was worth the slow pace.

Delicately, she peeled the crinkled paper away from the desert nestled in her palm. Even before she’d revealed the treat, its scent escaped, wafting past her nose, jump starting the tastebuds dotting her tongue and appeasing the growling cries in her stomach.

Michi lifted the custard to her nose, taking in a deep breath, inhaling the delectable scent as her eyes drank in the flaky buttery crust and the perfectly smooth, shiny surface staring back at her. She clicked her heels with glee, a happy shimmy shaking her shoulders.

Yes, the long day, the aching, rounded shoulders, the was all worth it.

Opening wide, Michi lifted the egg tart to her mouth and—

“ _Michi! Finally you’re back!”  
_

With stomach-swooping dismay, Michi watched—eyes wide, mouth parted in a silent scream of horror—as her beautiful, delectable egg tart flew through the air in a graceful, flipping arc, and landed against the dusty street with a _smack_.

The arms curled around her stomach unfurled and out the corner of her eye she was aware of the mass of hair and spindly limbs wiggling ungracefully down on the edge of the fountain beside her. The babbling landing of the arcing water may as well have been the tears of despair that fell deep within her. _So close!_

“Oh, did I do that?” Jin’s uttered question came with a curled smile and a shrug of her shoulders in her patened _what can you do?_ way. Michi figured she could go back in time greet her like a normal person and less like a goat gorilla, it would be the _least_ she could do. “Oops.”

 _Oops!?_ That’s all she had to say? Michi turned her bewildered, wide eyed stare to Jin who waved her hand. “Relax, we can get you another one.”

Perhaps she could but that wasn’t the point. Her father had worked hard to earn the special treat. 

Michi closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and let it out slow; it was inaudible beneath the quacking of the turtle ducks and the excited screeches of the children feeding them.

“So, how was it today?” Jin asked, reaching forward to tug on the end of Michi’s unbraided pigtail. Making a face, Michi lifted her hand and waved it side to side. “Uh oh, that’s not good. Was something wrong? I saw the teapots you made last night. They were so beautiful!”

If she weren’t so used to Jin’s particular fondness of whiplash conversations, Michi would find herself on shaky ground. As it were, she knew how to ride out those rough waves.

And, admittedly, Michi had to agree. They were some of her best creations yet. A quick wave of her hand and she bended a set of teapots that she wasn’t even sure she wanted to sell. They were just so… _perfect._ The smooth curve of the spout, the hearty rounded body, the curl to the arm. Even she was a little loathe to sell them but they sold well. Not nearly as good as the vases they managed to scrounge up weeks before but she was still proud.

But, to Jin’s question, she gave her head a shake.

“Well, that’s good to hear then! Was it something else?” She placed a pointed finger to her chin as her eyes drifted upwards. Michi could almost see a bubble appearing over her head as she spoke aloud. “Hmm. I assume the location wasn’t all that bad. And if there were any troubles with haggling you would have said so. _Ah!”_ Removing her finger from her chin, she held it in the air and a big grin appeared on her face. “It was the _people_ , wasn’t it. A specific person?” Reaching over, she poked Michi in the ribs.

A grumble sounded in Michi’s throat as she wiggled away, turning her burning cheeks from Jin’s piercing gaze. 

“Was it Jet? Did Jet stop by your table again?” Jin continued, ignoring the distinct curve to Michi’s body to poke her in the side again.

 _Jet._ Even his name brought a newly unwelcome wave of… _something_ crashing through her. Her nose wrinkled and she brought her shoulders up in an effort to cover the red dusting her cheeks. 

It was _Jet_ of all people. She’d known him for…who knows how long. It was almost as if he was always around, somewhere in the background. Which, in fact, he _was_. Since they were little, he tended to pop up around her somewhere. Always with that charming grin, always with that air of confidence that seemed to buoy his sure steps, always with that _stupid_ piece of wheat in the corner of his mouth. Always with a compliment for her waiting at the tip of his tongue.

“He did, didn’t he? Oh, that’s so romantic!”

Huffing, Michi rolled her eyes. Everything was romantic to Jin. She could find romance in the middle of the desert if her life depended on it.

Lifting her hands, she moved them as emphatically as the thought came to her mind: _Don’t even think about it. He doesn’t seem to understand that I have work to do._

Jin shrugged. She leaned back, her fingers gripping the edge of the fountain as she kicked her legs ahead of her. “There’s nothing wrong with breaking up the monotony, right?”

Squinting, Michi peered at the curve to Jin’s lips, the sparkle in her eye, the quiet but very distinct thrumming that came off her in waves. Almost as if she were a plucked string, vibrating at her own frequency. Michi felt it beneath her fingers.

She tilted her head to the side, one ponytail dipping further on her shoulder than the other. A quirk to her brow made Jin’s smile widen. “Want to get some tea at Pao’s?” Michi’s eyebrow rose higher and her head tilted forward slightly. It wasn’t until Michi pressed her lips together that Jin relented. “Fine, fine! There’s a new guy working at the shop!”

Michi tilted her head back, lips parting. _That explains it._

“Oh, stop it,” Jin admonished, following it up by sticking out her tongue. It was Michi’s turn to flash a grin at her. “He’s really cute. You should have been the way he smiled at me!”

Michi almost pointed out that he was probably being paid to smile at her but she kept her mouth shut. This was…welcomed. Her excitement. It was better than the ruminating hurt that bounced off her after the whole Shun incident. Her smile was unwavering but her wavelengths told a different story.

“There’s just…something about him.” It was Michi’s turn to poke Jin in the ribs, nailing her with a look. _I’ve heard that before._ Jin brushed a braided pigtail off her shoulder. “I know, I know. But this is different! I can feel it.”

 _Feel it…_ Michi turned Jin’s words over in her mind. Perhaps Jin meant it in a figurative sense but…Michi _could_ feel anything that came off this guy. If he was being deceitful or sincere. And maybe, this time, she could put herself in the right place to catch Jin just in case she fell. What kind of friend would she be if she constantly let her fall to her knees? They’ve been getting a bit too bruised lately.

Mich lifted her hands again: _Tea sounds nice._

She’d barely finished signing her sentence when Jin let out an excited squeal, looped her arm with hers, and yanked her to her feet. “Great, let’s go!” And she charged forward, pulling a stumbling Michi behind her, who was careful not to step in the forgotten egg tart on the ground. Jin cast a look at it on the ground and leaned into Michi’s side as they walked. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the next one. Promise.” She gave Michi’s arm a squeeze.

That promise didn’t come easy, Michi knew. Jin being able to afford an extra expense meant longer days out in the fields, backbreaking work beneath the harsh sun. Michi would refuse it when the time came, of course, but she appreciated the gesture all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! Thank you for taking the time to read my newest fanfic! While I've been a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender since it's initial airing, it wasn't until I recently rewatched (coughcough _binged_ ) it on Netflix that I finally got up the courage to post a snippet of the idea that I've had brewing in my mind for a while. Jin made a very big impression on me the first time she appeared and I wanted to give her a friend because who else is she going to gush to about Zuko? Please let me know what you think! I accept constructive criticism.


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